Pakistan’s prime minister appeared on Thursday before a Supreme Court-appointed team investigating allegations against his family’s offshore companies and money laundering. Security was tight ahead of Nawaz Sharif’s appearance before the panel at the Judicial Academy in Islamabad. The Pakistani leader, who says he never misused his authority to enrich himself, has been under pressure to resign since reports based on documents leaked from a Panama-based law firm indicated his sons owned offshore companies.
The panel is comprised of senior investigators and representatives from the country’s two powerful spy agencies — the Inter-Services-Intelligence and Military Intelligence. Pakistani TV footage showed Sharif waving to dozens of his supporters who had gathered near the Judicial Academy complex of buildings. Sharif, accompanied by daughter Maryam Nawaz, one of his sons and his younger brother, seemed relaxed as he stepped out of his car heading into the academy. Sharif’s two sons have already testified before the same panel, denying allegations against their family’s financial affairs. Sharif’s family and his party have alleged that some of the panel members were biased, accusing them of pressuring witnesses to testify against Sharif. — AP
